Sherawat Takeover. Bollywood star Mallika Sherawat tweeted pictures of herself in Hawaii this week, as news broke that she’s joining CBS’s hit show Hawaii Five-O as a guest star. Sherawat will play Farah, a woman from main character Catherine’s past. Sherawat’s episode is scheduled to air on May 2. [TV Line, Indian Express]
Reverend Jesse Jackson is in Kolkata! During his visit, he paid his respects at Mother Theresa’s grave and gave remarks at one of India’s prestigious IIM (Indian Institute of Management) campuses. [KALW]
SAT Makeover, Desi-Style. The Khan Academy announced a coveted partnership with educational testing company College Board. As part of the deal, Khan Academy will have exclusive rights to actual test questions as part of the College Board’s new changes to the SAT coming in the spring of 2016. The test prep will be free when it launches in the spring of 2015, offering students access to a personalized artificial intelligence learning experience that aims at rewarding students for learning the material rather than memorizing test-taking strategies. [Tech Crunch]
Angry Birds, Angry Voters. In the lead up to India’s much awaited spring elections, a renewed focus on younger voters has caused a jump in election-related smartphone apps. From an Angry Birds-inspired game called Angry Voters (appropriate much?) to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) own party-centric app, the efforts signify an important and growing technology trend in India. [WSJ]
The Others. Speaking of India’s elections, as recent data shows an emerging gap between male and female voters, this will be the first national election in which voter ID’s with the gender “Other” will be accepted. The Election Commission added the category in 2012, with the aim of allowing the often invisible trans* community to vote. [WSJ]
Times Profiles Roy. This week The New York Times published an in-depth profile of the critically-acclaimed author of The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy. The piece details her “hiatus” from fiction writing, her foray into political activism, and previously unpublished details about her life and history. [New York Times]
Gulaab Gang Release Stayed. In an all-too-familiar legal system that favors big-time Bollywood filmmakers, the Delhi High Court this week ordered to stay the release of upcoming blockbuster Gulaab Gang, starring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla. The stay was filed by Sampat Pal, the leader of Gulabi Gang whose story inspired the film. Pal claims defamation, as the portrayal of the weapons Gulabi Gang uses in the film is more violent, and she was not consulted or contacted during the making of the film. Within 24 hours, the court then accepted an appeal from the producers, allowing the film to release on time today in India and internationally. [New York Times]
Priya Arora is a graduate student at New York University, studying Human Development and Social Intervention with a research focus on mental health in LGBTQ youths. Born and raised in California, Priya has found a home in New York, and hopes to go on to become a mental health counselor. Follow her on Twitter at @thepriyaarora.
